Shen Xingmian saw a large group of people standing at the intersection from afar and immediately realized that her act of taking the child on horseback and leaving seemed a bit dangerous to the villagers.
She had only planned to take a stroll around the neighborhood, but Er Ya was laughing so hard, saying things like "Wow, so fast!" and "Sister is so amazing!"
Shen Xingmian lost herself in the child's constant praise... Waaah.
She happily sped up, galloping far away with the excited little girl, before turning her horse back, afraid that if she went any further, she wouldn't be able to find the little village again.
Seeing a woman approaching, Shen Xingmian quickly jumped off his horse with Er Ya in his arms, gently set the child down, and scratched his head apologetically:
"I'm sorry, I saw the little girl was happy, so I took her far away. Did I scare you?"
Er Ya's mother hugged her daughter tightly. Seeing her daughter's flushed face and her great joy, she couldn't utter a single word of complaint.
"It's nothing. Horseback riding is a very precious experience for the child. As parents, we should be thanking you."
Huh?
Shen Xingmian was quite surprised that the village women were so understanding. She had expected to be severely scolded.
Tiger's mother watched from the side. Although she had a sharp tongue, she was very perceptive and knew which people she could offend and which people she absolutely could not.
The girl in front of me was dressed simply, but her appearance and demeanor clearly showed that she had been raised in a wealthy family. Even the daughter of the richest family in our town was not raised as well.
Only powerful and wealthy families in the capital city, no, the prefectural city, could raise a child like this.
Thinking of this, she put on a kind smile and said warmly, "You must have come from afar, young lady? You must be tired after walking all this way. Why don't you come to my house for a drink of water and a rest?"
If this weren't a village, Shen Xingmian would have suspected that the strangely smiling old woman in front of her was the owner of some unscrupulous inn.
They specifically target passersby to make fillings for steamed buns.
"No, Mom! Er Ya has already ridden a horse, but I haven't! I want to ride one too! Auntie just thanked me. Shouldn't I be rewarded for doing a good deed?"
Um?
Did you do a good deed?
Shen Xingmian was unaware of what had just happened and was skeptical of Hu Zi's claim of "doing a good deed."
"Tell me what good thing you did. If it's true, I'll take you for a ride."
Shen Xingmian wouldn't really hold a grudge against the child. If the child's values could still be salvaged, she would certainly be happy to take him for a run.
Tiger quickly explained what had just happened. After he finished, the adults looked a little embarrassed. They had misunderstood the little girl and wanted to ride her horse; it would be strange if they agreed.
After hearing this, Shen Xingmian was both amused and exasperated, but she also confirmed one thing: Tiger wasn't as bad as she had imagined.
His mother is a decent person; she's what people call "sharp-tongued but soft-hearted." Her words can be harsh, but she can still be of some use when it matters.
There was no real schadenfreude or gloating over the spectacle.
Judging from what just happened, both mother and daughter are still somewhat salvageable.
“That’s very apt, and you’re quite clever. Well then, I’ll reward you with a horseback ride,” Shen Xingmian said generously.
After putting Tiger on the horse, she looked back at Tiger's mother and saw that she looked quite happy and not nervous at all. She thought that although this person had a foul mouth, she was quite discerning and had realized that she was not a bad person.
That's right, he looked so righteous, how could he be a human trafficker?
She jumped onto her horse and, under the watchful eyes of a group of people behind her, galloped away into the distance. However, this time she didn't go very far before returning with Tiger.
Even if you take a child horseback riding for half an hour the first time, he won't be satisfied. If you let him do it his own way, you and the horse will be exhausted.
Shen Xingmian was not willing at all.
Besides, there are so many other children waiting; we can't let them be treated unfairly and leave a huge regret in their young hearts.
After taking the children around to experience everything, she almost regretted coming to this village. Taking care of children is really not a job for humans!
However, when it ended, even the village chief was alarmed and came out to see what was going on, leaning on his cane.
The village chief wasn't so old that he couldn't walk steadily; rather, he had fallen into a ditch and broken his leg while walking at night on his way back from a trip.
Shen Xingmian, being a good person to the end, happened to be in a good mood and helped him out, allowing the village chief to throw away his crutches on the spot and walk freely again.
Now, the villagers' respect for Shen Xingmian was even more exaggerated, and they all warmly invited her to visit their homes.
Tiger's mother stepped forward from the crowd and said warmly, "Oh, everyone, please make way! Miss Shen is the first one I invited. Come on, let's go to my house. I'll slaughter a chicken and stew it for you!"
Everyone around her was shocked by her generosity, because, as far as the New Year is concerned, no one gets to eat meat.
Tiger's mother actually wanted to kill a chicken just to hire a strange girl.
Everyone stepped back, giving her the opportunity to entertain the guest. After all, no one would want to give up a chicken they'd raised for so long to lay eggs.
But Tiger's mother was thinking that if she could secure this relationship, wouldn't her son Tiger be able to have connections with important people in the future?
What was that saying again?
One person... what was it again? Oh right, when one person attains enlightenment, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven!
As long as Tiger becomes successful, how could he let his mother suffer?
Thinking about the wealthy life ahead, Tiger's mother's face was all smiles; she no longer cared about the chicken.
Although the little girl hadn't agreed yet, Tiger's mother was already confident of victory. Chicken is so delicious, who could resist eating it?
She believed that someone who had eaten her food was obligated to her, and she refused to believe that the young girl could simply walk away.
She was mentally calculating her options, but the person opposite her didn't agree. Instead, they refused, saying, "I'm not used to eating out. My family is waiting for me, so I won't stay any longer."
Shen Xingmian knew exactly what Tiger's mother was thinking; she had no intention of being a lamb offered up and being fleeced.
While riding horses with Hu Zi, Shen Xingmian tried his best to instill in him the idea that "protecting the weak is what a real man does," but he didn't know how much of it Hu Zi absorbed.
This village is quite far from the North, but it's not wealthy either. You can tell by how thin and bony the villagers are.
"No, I was thinking of letting you stay the night. It's rare for you to pass by here, and you seem to have a connection with these kids. Why don't you recognize me as your god-sister? Come on, let's go to my house for dinner."
After saying that, he enthusiastically reached out to grab Shen Xingmian's arm.
The villagers were all surprised. Tiger's mother usually wouldn't invite anyone to her house for a meal, and even if you just passed by her house at mealtimes, you'd get a dirty look from her.
Today is truly a day when the sun rises in the west!
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